Regina weightlifter David Samayoa has big goals

David Samayoa recently won a gold medal at the Canadian Junior Weightlifting championships in Scarborough, Ont.

Photograph by: Bryan Schlosser
, Regina Leader-Post

REGINA — Competing in Canadian championships, breaking provincial records, and following in the footsteps of your father can be a lot to handle. It’s a good thing David Samayoa can manage the weight.

The 19-year-old Samayoa is fresh off a gold-medal-winning performance at the Canadian junior weightlifting championships, which concluded Jan. 21 in Scarborough, Ont.

“It was pretty good — it was really just another competition,” Samayoa said. “I was pretty confident, so I just went in there to do my best.”

Samayoa, who competes in the 85-kilogram category, and finished with a total lift of 285kg — 130kg in the snatch lift and 155kg in the clean and jerk. Both the lifts were provincial records in his weight class.

“It felt good because I won gold in my weight class, but they aren’t Canadian records,” said the ever-humble Samayoa.

Samayoa said he began weightlifting when he was nine years old. Starting out in weightlifting was tough for Samayoa, but that was until a few years ago. He said he really felt as if he was growing stronger both mentally and physically.

“It was really motivating — getting stronger and seeing big gains,” he said. “When I was nine or 10, I didn’t really see any big gains.”

Weightlifting runs deep in the Samayoa family. David’s two older sisters, Claudia and Veronica, were involved in the sport, so he wanted to get into it as well. His father, Jose, was a champion weightlifter in his native Guatemala. About 20 years ago, Jose moved his family to Regina. The passion for weightlifting came with him.

Until recently Jose took on a coaching role with David, but his retirement opened the door for Samayoa’s brother-in-law, Dallas Follick, to step in as a coach.

“It makes a big difference with him being my brother-in-law,’’ Follick said. “It is easy to take an interest in it.’’

Follick has never coached before, but as a former weightlifter, he can recognize a lot of potential in Samayoa.

“He has made some really big improvements,’’ Follick said of Samayoa. “I could see that he had lots of potential and we just had to make a few simple adjustments. We put him on a structured program and (have had) someone watching his technique. He has made some almost astonishing gains. I don’t think I’ve seen many people make gains like that since I’ve been in the sport.”

Samayoa’s next competition is the western Canadian championships at the end of March in Edmonton.

Both Samayoa and Follick have been working on Samayoa’s strength and technique. They meet for more than two hours, five days a week, to train.

“He is like a sponge as far as wanting to take in the knowledge and he is determined to reach his goals and willing to do whatever I felt he needed to do to really be a champion,” Follick said.

In order to become a champion, Samayoa has set out some goals for himself. One of the goals is having a good showing at the western Canadian championships. As of right now, he is ranked second in Canada for his weight class and he is looking to take over the Number 1 spot.

A long-term, but certainly more personal, goal that Samayoa has on the radar is competing in the world junior championships. The championships are being held in Guatemala — the country where many of Samayoa’s relatives still reside.

“It would be pretty awesome, but I would just treat it as an experience,’’ Samayoa said. “It would be my first international competition.’’

Follick is confident that Samayoa can attain his goals.

“It’s great to see how someone can have their determination and their will and just pure talent take him from where he was to where he is now and to have a goal in mind like he has,” Follick said.

Samayoa has already qualified for the world junior championships, but he can get the trip paid for if he moves into the Number 1 ranking. So, for now, he only has his sights set on the Western Canadians.

“I’ll just train hard and do my best and whatever happens, happens,’’ he concludes.

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